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Wyeth Day Celebration Special Edition

Farnsworth plans events to honor
Andrew Wyeth's life and work

The Farnsworth Art Museum will celebrate Wyeth Day on July 12 with docent tours, a scholarly review of Andrew Wyeth's life and career, and the chance for everyone to record oral histories about the painter and his art.

Gov. John B

aldacci proclaimed July 12 as Wyeth Day throughout Maine and urged people to honor the Wyeth family for 90 years of service to the state. A beloved American painter, Andrew Wyeth died in January at his home in Chadds Ford, Pa. He spent summers in Maine and based many of his most famous paintings on his life in the state. He is one of three generations of Wyeth painters who have celebrated Maine in their work.

For Wyeth Day, the Farnsworth has organized these events:

· At 1 p.m.at the Strand Theatre in Rockland, Wanda Corn will discuss Wyeth's life in "Andrew Wyeth through the Eyes of an Art Historian." Corn will present a selection of paintings and an illustrated interview with Farnsworth Director of Education Roger Dell. A question-and-answer period will follow the conversation. Corn, an art history professor at Stanford University, is the author of "The Art of Andrew Wyeth," published in 1973. This event is free, and reservations are not required.

· Throughout the day, Farnsworth docents will lead tours of Andrew Wyeth's work at the museum and at the Olson House in Cushing.
-At 11 a.m. in the museum's Hadlock and Wyeth Study Center galleries, participants will learn about Wyeth's tempera, watercolor and pencil drawings, from his early childhood drawings to his recent works.
-At 3 p.m. at the Olson House, docents will share the story of Wyeth's connection to this saltwater farm and his dedicated creative process that led to renowned works such as "Christina's World," which he completed in 1948.

Participants should meet at the Farnsworth's main entrance on Museum Street at 11 a.m. and the Olson House at 3 p.m. For directions to the Olson House, visit farnsworthmuseum.org. The tours are free, and reservations are not required.

· From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., people who have a story to share about Andrew Wyeth will be able to have it recorded for history. A Story Bank Maine team will set up a portable recording studio to record recollections. People interested in sharing a story should call Janice Kasper at 596-6457, ext. 113, to schedule an interview.
The goal of Story Bank Maine is to record and share narratives about Maine people and their places. Story Bank Maine is a project of Cultural Resources, an organization that works with communities to help people sustain their local cultures and the Maine Folklife Center at the University of Maine.